Brittany and Drew Neumann all the time knew that giving up van life would require a really particular property.
The couple, who’re YouTubers, had been residing on wheels since 2015. After a yearlong journey round North America in an previous camper owned by Drew’s dad and mom, the couple acquired married, purchased their very own van, and spent the following two and a half years touring round Europe and Africa for his or her honeymoon.
Mr and Mrs Journey
After returning to the US in 2018, they continued with van life till mid-2020, after they began eager about settling down.
“We wished to have our van, however we additionally all the time wished to have a base camp,” Drew, 36, informed Enterprise Insider. The aim is to have a house to stay in and be capable of begin a household.”
Searching for a everlasting dwelling
They knew they wished a spot pretty near the seashore, comparatively quiet, and with a lot of open land.
“We went to Hawaii and checked out land. We went to Northern California, we appeared within the deserts of Arizona, however nothing actually felt proper,” Drew stated.
Finally, they determined to attempt property looking in Portugal when pandemic restrictions had been lifted, and the borders opened up in 2021.
“It was the one different nation throughout our honeymoon travels the place we stated we might cease rolling,” Brittany, 36, informed BI.
The primary property they considered was an deserted watermill within the Algarve, Portugal’s southernmost area, and so they had been instantly smitten.
Mr and Mrs Journey
“I knew in my bones it was the one for us,” Brittany added.
Nonetheless, the property, which they estimate to be a number of hundred years previous, would require loads of work. The Dutch couple who owned it had began renovations however weren’t in a position to see it via.
The watermill sat empty for seven years, save for some rats and building supplies that had been left behind.
“It was form of like Pinocchio, Gepetto’s workshop. It had loads of the supplies for constructing, instruments, and issues that had been going for use for the construct, which was large for us coming with nothing,” Drew stated.
However as a lot as they beloved the watermill, the dimensions of the work required to revive the property was daunting, in order that they continued on the lookout for one other place for the following two years.
Mr and Mrs Journey
“We searched all around the nation for something that was slightly bit simpler, however simply as inspiring,” Brittany stated. “Not one of the different properties all through these two years of looking out did it for us.”
Ultimately, the appeal of the deserted watermill was too onerous to withstand, and so they lastly bit the bullet.
Within the mountains
The couple most popular to maintain the quantity they spent on the property — which spans about three hectares — personal.
Whereas foreigners usually are not restricted from shopping for property in Portugal, they needed to be good in regards to the forex conversion charges since even a small fluctuation might imply hundreds of {dollars} in distinction.
Mr and Mrs Journey
“We watched that very fastidiously. And in September of 2022, the US greenback was value greater than the Euro. And so we had been in a position to switch some huge cash at the moment to Europe,” Drew stated.
The property is located within the Monchique mountains, about half-hour from the southern coast. The closest village is about quarter-hour away, whereas the closest worldwide airport is about an hour’s drive away.
“It is 7,000 folks, so it is form of an agricultural village within the mountains with many cafés,” Drew stated. From my understanding, the city was thriving within the ’70s and the ’80s, however loads of the youthful folks have moved away to the cities.”
Dwelling on-site
Over the previous yr, the couple has been slowly chipping away at renovating the property whereas residing out of a van on-site.
Mr and Mrs Journey
“Earlier than beginning work on the land or the watermill, we discovered a degree spot. We put in our Starlink satellite tv for pc pole. We discovered easy methods to pump water from the stream into the tank that fills our camper,” Brittany stated.
Whereas they’re counting on photo voltaic power of their camper, they plan to attach the watermill property to the grid sooner or later.
“We need to do a hybrid system as a result of, within the winter, we simply need that assurance. There could be weeks of grey skies that will not cost our photo voltaic panels,” he stated.
Because the watermill is on a business licensed property, the couple should comply with sure guidelines to transform it right into a habitation license.
Mr and Mrs Journey
“One is that we will not change the present footprint of what was already accredited,” Drew stated. “So we will not make the home bigger. All we are able to do is go up and end all the things after which put within the electrical and water.”
The primary main a part of the work was fixing the leaking roof.
“After we first got here right here, it was simply gushing down at any time when it rained, and we had been placing buckets in every single place,” Drew stated.
Though the couple is engaged on the undertaking full-time, in addition they have a crew of contractors serving to them out.
Mr and Mrs Journey
“We have now a very sturdy expat group right here,” Brittany stated. “And each Friday, this group will get collectively. By gathering with them and asking questions or saying that we’re on the lookout for roofers, we discovered a beautiful body of workers.”
She stated that as a lot because the couple is happy to tackle some renovation tasks, sure duties require technical abilities that they lack.
“They constructed the roof, and so they’re at present serving to us end the components that we will not end,” she added.
Regardless of the watermill’s location in a comparatively quiet space, the couple says getting the development supplies hasn’t been too difficult.
Mr and Mrs Journey
A part of it’s as a result of couple with the ability to converse slightly little bit of Portuguese, due to the language courses they have been taking twice per week for the previous yr.
Not solely is it an indication of respect for the native folks and tradition, it additionally permits them to type friendships with the folks they work with, Brittany stated.
“Slightly than being seen as a foreigner or one thing, it simply actually permits us to attach higher with who we stay round and who we rent,” she added.
Navigating the challenges of designing a big house
The couple’s largest problem to this point was determining easy methods to work with a bigger house.
“The van, as a result of it was 80 sq. ft and small, was very manageable for Brittany and me to do ourselves. This watermill undertaking, now we have to produce other folks concerned,” Drew stated.
It was very totally different from something they’d achieved earlier than, particularly since they now needed to coordinate a bigger crew, from discovering the proper contractors to managing undertaking timelines, he stated.
Moreover, designing the inside format of the watermill may be very totally different from that of a van.
“We’re used to residing in such a small house and having one factor carry out a number of duties that having a lot extra space to construct inside feels onerous,” Brittany stated.
Mr and Mrs Journey
Now, Drew added, even the lavatory within the watermill is in regards to the measurement of their van.
Regardless of the challenges of renovating an deserted property, the couple says that they had been ready for the dimensions of the work.
A few months earlier than they began the method of buying the watermill, Drew’s dad and mom’ dwelling in Fort Myers, Florida, was devastated by Hurricane Ian — and the couple returned to assist with clean-up efforts.
“And that hurricane work ready us for the watermill work as a result of there are days the place I am like, oh, there’s nothing worse than shoveling gravel or no matter we’re doing right here,” Brittany stated. “And he goes, ‘keep in mind the hurricane?’ And I am like, ‘oh, by no means thoughts.'”
Large tasks take time
The couple says they hope to be achieved with the watermill in one other yr, hopefully earlier than Christmas.
They’ve recommendation for these serious about comparable tasks: Discover a snug place close by to stay through the renovation course of.
“Whether or not it is a camper van or a rented place within the village or close by city, I would not go greater than a mile out. I’ve heard that that may be extraordinarily inconvenient,” Brittany stated.
Dwelling onsite has been best for them as a result of their contractors have a tendency to point out up earlier than 8 a.m. most mornings, she stated.
“We all know when anyone comes and goes and so they can ask us questions associated to the undertaking,” she added. “We like being hands-on.”
Every time they’re annoyed with their progress, Drew says they attempt to remind themselves that massive tasks like this take time.
“I believe additionally when you set your thoughts to one thing and actually decide to it, it clears your focus and offers you goal,” he added. “It is superb for us to observe one thing rework proper earlier than our very eyes with every week, every month that goes into the undertaking.”
Have you ever just lately constructed or renovated your dream dwelling? Should you’ve acquired a narrative to share, get in contact with me at agoh@businessinsider.com.
